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by BookwormQueen27



Category: Beetlejuice (1988), Beetlejuice - All Media Types, Beetlejuice - Perfect/Brown & King
Genre: F/M, Gen, Netherworld, Panic Attacks, dead mom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24043504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookwormQueen27/pseuds/BookwormQueen27
Summary: “Hey, mom,” She choked out, sobbing now. Is this what death felt like? She couldn’t breathe. “I could use a little help here…” She whispered into the nothingness around her. Still, no one answered. No one ever answered.Lydia goes to the Netherworld.
Relationships: Adam Maitland/Barbara Maitland, Charles Deetz/Delia Deetz, Delia Deetz & Lydia Deetz
Comments: 9
Kudos: 25





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**Author's Note:**

> So, this was supposed to be short, then like 3,000 words later, here we are. I hope you enjoy this, cause this was probably my favorite thing I have ever written. Please comment any prompts you may have, anything you like or dislike, or just comment, I really don't care. Well, thanks a Ton! Spoilers, I guess.

Lydia stood, frozen by fear, as Barbara hung suspended in the air. Another blood curdling scream ripped itself out of the ghost’s throat and rang around. The teenager knew stuff was happening around her, but she could only focus on Barbara, someone she looked up to as if she was her mother.

“You can stop this,” Lydia’s head snapped to look at Beetlejuice, who, for the first time since they met, actually looked scary. The wicked gleam in his eye, the smirk on his lips, it all caused the girl to fear for her safety for the first time.

“How?” Her voice broke as she asked the question, trying to block out everything, but the man. 

The demon moved closer to the girl, a rough chuckle leaving him as he moved. In a flash, he bent down on one knee, “You have to marry me!” He raised his arms proudly.

“What?” Everyone in the room turned to look at Beetlejuice, except Barbara, who was still being exorcised. 

“It’s a green-card thing!” He added just as loudly. 

Lydia began to laugh at the words, her whole self trapped in shock. Tears leaked from her eyes and she just laughed. That was all she could do. Around her, she heard her father shout something at Beetlejuice, but she couldn’t focus on anything. She could only laugh, only cry. 

“Congratulations, the shit has now hit the fan!” She heard the demon scream.

“We have to do something,” She heard Adam’s plead, hitting her right in the heart. 

“This is my fault,” She whispered as her laughs slowly died down, “This is all my fault,” 

Beetlejuice’s head snapped to look at her, his finger pointing accusingly at her panicked self, “You wanted your mom,” He growled.

“It’s my fault she’s like this,” Tears began to fall down Lydia’s cheeks faster as she realized that she was killing Barbara. She was killing a ghost. 

“You messed with the wrong demon, now look what you’ve done,” His finger moved to point at the blond ghost, a bone chilling scream leaving her. 

Lydia couldn’t breath. This was all her fault. Adam would hate her if she didn’t save Barbara. Her dad would probably ignore her once this was over. And Delia, well, she’d go back to all that ‘positive’ crap. She didn’t want that. Everything hurt, she couldn’t let this happen. Barbara was the nicest person she had met in forever. She couldn’t die again. Not because of Lydia. 

“Fine!” She screamed, “I’ll marry you! Just stop this!” The whole atmosphere changed as soon as she spoke those words. 

“You said yes!” Lydia watched as Barbara was released from the Soul Box, her face paler than normal. Lydia moved to go check on the ghost, but she couldn’t move. She was still trapped in her mind, it screaming that all of this was her fault. And it was, she knew that. Lord, everything was a mess, because she was such a screw up.

“Time to go to the Netherworld,” Beetlejuice quickly drew a door on the wall in chalk, before knocking on it three times. The wall slowly opened, revealing a doorway to, essentially, Hell. Just as the demon was about to push the ghost couple into the Netherworld, Lydia found her voice.

“At least let me say goodbye!” She cried out. 

Beetlejuice paused, looking as if he was thinking it over, “Fine, but make it quickly, we have a wedding to plan,” He moved away from the couple, the door to Hell still open beside them. 

“Lydia,” Barbara quickly ran to hug the teenager, “Why’d you do that?” She held her tighter.

“You would have died,” Lydia sadly smiled, “I couldn’t have that,” 

“But,” Adam joined the hug, “Now you have to marry him,” The three of them turned to look at Beetlejuice, who was jumping across the house, happily singing about his plan.

“I know,” The teenager said sadly, “But I have a plan, and I need you guys to trust me,” 

“We do, Lydia,” The Maitland’s let go of Lydia and stepped back, still holding onto her hand. 

“Hey, Beetlejuice,” Lydia shouted, gaining the attention of the demon, “I’m going to the Netherworld,” With that she spun on her heel and fell through the doorway. She heard screams from behind her, but she didn’t care, she was going to the Netherworld. She was going to find her mom. 

As she entered the Netherworld, one thing stuck out. It was emptier and plainer than she thought it would. Death was supposed to lead to a grand new place, according to most people. But, where she was standing now, it just looked like a tunnel of light, going forever in any direction. 

“Lydia!” The girl turned around quickly at the sound of her name, coming face to face with the person she least expected to follow her. 

“Delia!” She breathed out, “What are you doing here?” 

“I followed you of course,” The life coach answered, placing the fakest smile on her lips, “Um, where are we anyway?” She turned to look around. 

“Welcome to the Netherworld, Delia,” Lydia hissed out the name. She wanted to be alone. Or, with literally anyone else. 

“Netherworld? Well, how do we get back?” Delia asked, trying to reach for the teenager, “Your father is probably worried-”

“I’m not going back,” Lydia pulled back herself, refusing to move from where she was at. She just glared at the red haired woman. 

“Nonsense, we’ll go back, as my Guru Otho always says-”

“Shut up!” Lydia coldly hissed, making the life coach freeze, “Do you not notice how nothing you’ve ever done for me works? How nothing you’ve ever said has worked?” 

“Lydia-” She tried to cut in.

“No! You keep telling me to move on, to forget my mother, to be happy, positive,” Lydia’s voice got louder as she spoke, “I don’t want to do that! She was my mother! I loved her so much!” Tears flowed silently down her cheeks, “Do you even know how it feels to be sad? To lose someone to? To-”

“Lydia-”

“Welcome to the Netherworld!” A loud, feminine voice caused both of the living to jump. A woman appeared around the corner, her skin a lovely blue-green shade. Her dress was covered in sequins, the light around causing it to reflect shades of red on everything. “I am the once, and forever, Miss Argentina!” She gestured to the stunning white sash that stretched from her shoulder to her hip, “I died in the sash, they can never take it away,” She joked, moving to the two girls.

“Hello,” Delia awkwardly said, placing herself slightly in front of a frozen Lydia, “Me and my,” She paused and bite her lip, “Uh, stepdaughter seemed to be lost,” 

“Did you not read the handbook?” The green skinned woman rolled her eyes, before looking at the clipboard in her hand. 

“Handbook?” Delia asked, confusion dripping from her words. 

“Yes!” The woman brought her hand to her temple, “You are dead, nina! All you have to do now is read da handbook!” Her accent grew deeper with annoyance. 

“We aren't dead,” Lydia quietly stated. 

“What?” The woman snapped her head to look at the teenager, her wild red curls flying everywhere. 

Lydia spoke louder now, “We aren’t dead,”

“But, that’s impossible,” The pageant queen reached for the teen’s wrist, feeling her pulse, “Living people in the world of the dead…” 

“Is that bad?” Delia asked, trying to grab Lydia.

Miss Argentina stared off into the distance before answering, “Yes,” She paused, “Especially if Juno finds you,”

“Would my mom be here?” Lydia finally asked, taking back her hand.

“Yes, anyone who’s ever died is in here, but why would you want to be here?” The woman asked, “Life is a joyride compare to this place,”

Lydia laughed, “Then you obviously haven’t had any that bad happen to you,” She stared at the woman in the eyes, challenging her.

“Lydia-” Delia tried to cut in, once again, only to be ignored, again. 

“My mom died when I was thirteen, after years of fighting cancer, and my own father pretends that she wasn’t real,” Lydia went on, trying to prove how bad her own life was. 

The response she was given surprised her. Miss Argentina only laughed, a full on chuckle, “Nina, if you think that is a horrible life, wait till you die,” 

“What’s your story then?” Lydia moved closer to the woman, crossing her arms. 

“I was forced into pageants as an infant, my father was killed by a drunk driver, my mother lived through me, and in the end, mi madre gave up on me,” A cruel smile grew on the green woman’s ruby lips, “Then, I had my ‘little accident’,” She flashed her slit wrist, the crimson wounds still open, as they never healed over. 

Behind Lydia, Delia gasped loudly and covered her mouth in shock. Yet, the teenager paid no mind, “Sure, your life wasn’t great, but death can’t be that bad,” She paused, “It’s death after all,”

“Just ask anyone down here,” The pageant star lightly said, waving her hand around the empty, white space. “If I knew then, what I know now, nina, I wouldn’t of had this ‘accident’,”

“There is no one here-”

“Welcome to the Netherworld,” A harsh voice cut her off, an old woman walking over to the group of girls. “Why aren’t these women in line with the others yet?” She took a drag off of her cigarette, smoke flying out of the slit in her throat staring at Miss Argentina.

“They hadn’t read the handbook yet, Juno,” She waved her off with the clipboard, “I was explaining some things,”

“Well, it’s their own fault, don’t help them,” Juno hissed, “No matter, I’ll take them myself, you can go back to the counter,” 

The green woman gave Delia and Lydia a look of pity before leaving, “Thank you, Juno,” They all listened to the sound of the woman’s heels on the stone floor before speaking. 

“Follow me, newly deads,” Juno slowly turned, moving farther down the empty, white hallway, “Up here is a door, once you go through it, you’ll be with every other dead person,” As they turned down a new corridor, they saw a line of people, waiting in front of what looked like a metal detector. 

“Will my mom be in there?” Lydia quietly asked the old woman.

She turned and raised her eyebrow, “Isn’t that your mother?” She pointed to a pale Delia, who was oddly quiet. 

“No!” 

“If she’s dead, she’ll be in there,” With that, Juno left them at the end of the line. 

“Lydia,” Delia’s voice was shaky, “We shouldn’t be here, we have to go,”

The teenager turned quickly, glaring at the life coach, “No, I’m not going anywhere, but in there,” She pointed to the doorway thingy. 

“This isn’t right-”

“I don’t care, I know you don’t care,” She hissed back, making the woman jump back, “I’m going to see my mom, you can run back to my dad like you always do, but I’m not leaving, not without her!” Tears began to form in her eyes, but she pushed them back. 

Delia reached out again, but only for Lydia to turn away from her. In a flash, the teen took off and ran through the doorway, causing alarms to go off. 

“Lydia!” 

“A living girl!” Juno yelled, pointing at Lydia, “Get here!” 

Lydia’s eyes grew wide as a group of dead football players began to chase her. She took off, deeper into the doorway, turning into different hallways, going left, then right, then left again. She just needed away from everyone else. She needed to get to her mom. 

Quickly, everything in the Netherworld blurred together. Each hall looked just like the last. At some point, the team of football players had disappeared behind her. But, Lydia was very out of shape, each step she took hurt more and more as she went. 

She kept running though, hoping to see something or someone she knew. Then, she couldn’t. Lydia just tripped on air, falling into a heap onto the floor, tears streaming down her face. Inside of her chest, her heart was racing, her lungs couldn’t take in enough air.

She was done, Lydia couldn’t go on anymore. Everything hurt and moving farther in the Netherworld wasn’t helping any of her matters. She would never find her mom. 

“Hey, mom,” She choked out, sobbing now. Is this what death felt like? She couldn’t breathe. “I could use a little help here…” She whispered into the nothingness around her. Still, no one answered. No one ever answered. 

“Back at home, you don’t exist,” Her voice cracked. Lydia hated her dad. Why wasn’t he here with her? Why wouldn’t he speak her name? He pushed forward, leaving her far behind, “So here I am in the abyss,” The lights around her hurt her eyes as she sobbed, alone, in the hallway. She couldn’t take it anymore. Nothing was right anymore. She was just lost, tried, and alone.

“Mama!” She cried out, her lungs not working as they should. Lydia couldn’t breathe anymore. She was sure this was death. She was going to die in Hell, the irony of it all too much. At least, she’d never have to marry Beetlejuice. “Mama,” She mumbled between her gasps for air. 

Did she come this far for nothing? She had so much she wanted to tell her mom, both the good and bad. She wanted to tell her about the Maitland’s, show mom her dyed hair. She just wanted to know that she wasn’t alone in the world. That she was okay. 

Lord, she couldn’t breath. ‘Mom!’ Her mind shouted. Lydia forced her eyes tightly shut. She was so tired of being okay. Of playing the perfect daughter for her father. Of having to wear a fake smile. 

“Lydia!” A voice shouted out from behind her, a warm hand was placed gently on her shoulder, “Thank God!”

Lydia’s eyes snapped open, her mind expecting to see her dead mom, “Mom?” She asked, weakly between gasps for air. She couldn’t see anything, dammit! Why couldn’t she stop crying?

“Hey, breathe, you’ll be fine,” The person calmly stated and rubbed Lydia’s back, “Can you match my breathing?” The woman asked, exaggerating how loudly they were breathing.

“Yeah,” Lydia nodded and tried to follow. It took a bit for her to calm, but she slowly managed it. “Thanks, so much,” She paused and rubbed her eyes, hoping to see who helped her, “Delia?”

“Are you okay?” The red haired woman asked, a sad smile on her lips. 

Lydia pushed Delia away and stood up, her eyes wide, “Why won’t you just leave me alone, Delia?” She hissed, hugging herself.

“I’m trying to help you,” The woman still was sitting on the floor. 

“You can’t help me, no one can,” Lydia cried out, “The only person that can is my mom! Can’t you see that?” She paused, taking a breath, “You don’t get what I’ve gone through, what I’m going through,” 

“My grandmother died when I was your age,” Delia quietly whispered, looking at her nails.

“Boo, hoo, you lost someone. I lost my mom!” 

“She was my whole world,”

“My mom was everything to me!” Lydia glared at the woman.

“And my parents acted like she was never real,” Lydia froze as Delia spoke, the older woman still not looking up, “So I tried to make them say her name,” Delia’s face was still very pale, “But, they didn’t, so I tried to make them say my name,” A single tear fell down her face, “I dyed my hair purple, I started finding output drugs, I tried to kill myself,” 

Lydia slowly bent down, “Delia…”

“But it never worked…” Delia slowly looked up, her cheeks red from the silent tears, “I understand how you feel, I want to help you so bad,” She sighed, “I’m a horrible life coach,” 

“No-”

“Yes,” She laughed weakly, “I am. I forgot to let you mourn, I just didn’t want you to fall too deep into you sadness, that I never let you miss what you lost,” She rubbed her nose, “I’m so sorry,”

“It’s okay,” Lydia tried.

“No, it’s not. You are an amazing person, you’ve been through Hell,” Delia gestured to the area around them, “Literally. You’re so strong. All you want is for people to see you,” Delia brought her hand to play with one of the teenager’s rogue curls, “If we get back, I'll talk to your father,” 

Lydia smiled brightly for the first time in forever and latched herself onto Delia, the older woman falling back in surprise, “Thank you, so much,” She breathed out. 

Delia rubbed the teenager’s back as they sat, humming the tune of some old song, “Do you want to go and find your mom?” She asked after they sat in silence for a few moments. 

“As much as I’d like to, I think we should go back home, after all, we do have a demon to deal with,” She laughed slightly. 

Delia let go of Lydia, “How do we get back home?” 

“We just need to draw a door on the wall,” The girl plainly stated, “In chalk, I think,”

A smirk grew on Delia’s face at her words, “And they told me I was crazy for carrying chalk around,”

“You carry chalk around?” Lydia laughed as she rose back to her feet.

“Yeah, someone once told me it would help for something, but I forgot what,” The red haired woman pulled it out of her pocket, thankfully her dress had one. “I’ll go draw that door real quick,” She rose, her knees popping as she did so. 

“Hey, Delia,” Lydia called out as the woman began to move to the wall.

“Yes?” 

Lydia fished something from her pocket, “I took this when it was just Beetlejuice and me,” In her palm sat a shard of smoky quartz, “I’m sorry,” She moved to give it to Delia, only for the woman to shake her head. 

“No, you keep it. It’ll work better for you anyway,” Lydia quickly placed it back inside of her pocket, smiling to herself, as she watched Delia begin to draw a chalk door on the wall.

Lydia turned back around, looking to the ceiling above her, a smile on her face now, “Mama, I’m going home,” She paused, wiping a lone tear that made its way down her cheek, “And, I swear, I’m never going to forget you,”

“Okay, so the door is here,” Delia’s words caused her to turn back around, “But, what are we going to do about that demon?” 

“Let’s take things one step at a time,” The girl stated, “Plus, I’ve got a plan, trust me,”

“I do,” Delia quickly promised, before knocking on the door three times.

As it opened, all Lydia could think was that, demon or not, she was going home. She was finally going home.


End file.
